BIG RAPIDS -- Chad Wilson was in the right place at the right time to get a crucial interception, but the hard part still was ahead.

All that was left was to run the ball down the field and put Ferris State in position to kick a field goal and avoid overtime against Northern Michigan.

Instead, Ferris State's kicker would be attempting an extra point.

Wilson picked off Northern Michigan quarterback Carter Kopach and motored into the end zone for a 75-yard touchdown return with 4.2 seconds remaining to give Ferris State a come-from-behind 31-24 win at Top Taggart Field on Saturday.

Ferris State erased a 14-point fourth-quarter deficit by scoring 21 unanswered points in the final 8:14.

"(Kopach) threw the ball, and I got it and I started taking it to the sideline. Our defensive coordinator always says to take it over there," Wilson said. "I saw some blocks developing so I took it back across the field, saw an opening and just went from there. I would not have been able to do this without those blocks."

Ferris State (3-1 GLIAC, 4-1 overall), which scored its fifth consecutive win over Northern Michigan dating back to 2004, fell behind three times by double digits. The Bulldogs trailed 14-0 early in the second half, 17-7 with 7:55 left in the third quarter, and 24-10 in the fourth.

If there was any pressure on the sideline, Ferris State coach Jeff Pierce said it didn't show.

"The guys don't let a lot of things bother them. They had a mindset that they would win this football game," Pierce said. "Things just weren't clicking for us early on but we didn't lose our composure and finally we were able to work things out in the end. We just kept playing football."

Ferris State's offense capitalized on two scoring drives late.

It mounted a 75-yard, 4-play drive in 1 minute and 12 seconds, capped by a 38-yard touchdown pass from Tom Schneider to Mike Ryan, to cut the Bulldogs' deficit to 24-17 with 8:14 left.

Ferris State then tied the game at 24-24 with 5:50 remaining on a 26-yard run by Tim Hogue to cap a 53-yard drive that took just 29 seconds.

Then came Wilson's long run, and Ferris's fourth win of the season.

"It was all in our favor at that stage of the game. I think we'd have beaten them in overtime if Chad had not scored," Pierce said. "Our momentum swung in our favor, but we didn't let Northern's early momentum bring us down."

Hogue finished with 141 yards rushing and two touchdowns on 23 carries. Schneider was 7-for-20 for 154 yards, one touchdown and one interception.

"I was pretty upset when we were down because I threw an interception of my own, but I think this woke us up and I think as an offense we said we needed to get awakened," Schneider said.

Added Hogue: "However we get it done, we just have to make it happen. You just gotta get that W in the end, that's what matters. When I saw Chad running, I said, 'Please go to the crib and score.' "